Group action deadlines: IMPORTANT WARNING

Missing group action deadlines can mean that you are unable to complete a compensation claim as part of an established action.

This can mean that you are then unable to recover any compensation at all, so it is incredibly important to make sure you start a legal case as soon as you can. You do not want to miss out on thousands of pounds by leaving it too late.

We wanted to raise more awareness about this as we have recently received new enquiries from a number of people affected by the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal. The court deadline for this action has passed and we are unable to take new cases forward. Here is some additional advice about the deadlines and the consequences of missing them.

Group action deadlines

Group action deadlines are usually put in place when a formal court action is established. The most common example is where a Group Litigation Order (GLO) is in place, where the court will then usually impose a cut-off date for people to join the action.

We’ve been involved in many GLO actions with deadlines, including the PIP Breast Implant action, and the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal and British Airways data breach actions that we were appointed with Steering Committee seats for.

From those examples, please note that the deadlines for the PIP and VW actions have passed, and we are no longer able to accept new cases for either action. For victims of the BA data breach, you still have time to claim and you can start your case via the dedicated BA Group Action website here.

Missing the deadlines

We often warn about group action deadlines, especially when they’re near. That being said, with No Win, No Fee representation, what have you got to lose in starting your case ASAP?

Many people miss the deadlines, and this usually means that you will be unable to join the action and benefit from any successful court decisions. There is nothing that we can do for you. You could make a court application to join late but, in our experience, having seen other law firms (not us) miss the deadline, the Judge is likely going to refuse permission.

A key case in point is the Volkswagen Emissions Scandal Litigation. Since the recent news of the key court victory that has weakened the defence VW’s lawyers were putting forward, we have received an influx of new enquiries from people asking for our help. Unfortunately, the court deadline has now passed, and we are unable to take new Volkswagen cases forward at all, as confirmed above.

There are plenty of recent actions that we have launched compensation cases for where deadlines are not yet in place. This includes for the Virgin Media, LOQBOX and the Watford Community Housing data breach incidents.

Virgin Media and British Airways data breach compensation actions

The group action deadlines for both the Virgin Media and British Airways data breach compensation actions have not yet passed as of April 2020 when this article has been published.

The Virgin Media one has not yet been established, but you should start your case ASAP using the dedicated website here.

You can start your claim to be a part of the British Airways Group Action on the website here, with the deadline for joining in January 2021.